Aminoacetonitrile derivatives (AADs) are a class of anthelmintics effective against drug-resistant nematodes. The nematodes, or roundworms, comprise a large number of pathogens of man and domestic animals. Gastrointestinal nematodes, such as Haemonchus contortus, are major parasites of ruminants that cause substantial economic losses to livestock production worldwide.
Monepantel (MPL) (N-[(1S)-1-Cyano-2-(5-cyano-2-trifluoromethyl-phenoxy)-1-methyl-ethyl]-4-trifluoromethylsulfanyl-benzamide) is an example of such an AAD and has been approved as a nematocide for the treatment of sheep gastrointestinal parasites.

MPL has been shown to be efficacious against various species of livestock-pathogenic nematodes.
As a nematocide, the mechanism of action of MPL is via ligand-gated ion channels leading to interference of signal transduction at neuromuscular synapse. The affected parasites will then experience dysregulation in muscle contraction, paralysis, necrosis and moulting defects. Three nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) related genes have been identified as the primary targets of MPL and all of the three genes encode for the proteins representing the DEG-3 subfamily of nAChR subunits that are only present in nematodes. The DEG-3 gene encodes a nAChR α-subunit which holds resemblance to that of α7 subunit in second transmembrane domain.
It has now surprisingly been found that AADs also bind to mTOR pathway target (receptors) in mammalian cells and as such are effective in the treatment of mTOR pathway related diseases.